Five Key Facts About Looked After Children

1. In England and Wales the Children Act 1989 defines a child as being looked after (or in care) by a local authority if he or she is in their care or is provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours.

2. Looked after children can also be accommodated under a voluntary agreement with their parents (Children Act 1989, section 20); The child’s parents might have agreed to this, for example, if they’re ill, if their child has a disability and needs respite care, or to avoid the need for care proceedings against them.

3. More often, looked after children are the subject of a Care Order (CA 1989, section 31), an Interim Care Order(section 38); or the subject of an Emergency Care Order (CA 1989, ss.44&46). At 31 March 2019, 75% of looked after children were the subject of Care Orders

4. Looked after children may be compulsorily accommodated and remanded to the local authority or subject to a criminal justice supervision order with a residence requirement (section 21).

5. We do not know whether placing children in care improves their life chances, but we do know that many looked after children are exposed to new risks in care, that large proportions of the prison, homeless and unemployed are made up of care leavers, that their mental health is likely to be poorer and that in 2017 just over half of local authorities, in whose care they are placed, were rated as needing improvement or inadequate by Ofsted.